Race Center Stage on Right

via Buzzfeed

“In Obama’s America, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering,” says Limbaugh.

AFTER STEPPING IN over the weekend, because in the conversation over Trayvon Martin things turned ugly, coupled with Zimmerman apologists ignoring his own behavior in escalating the situation that led to Martin’s killing, the article on Buzzfeed today is particularly timely.

It goes well beyond the Trayvon Martin case, but remains pinned to it, because of the reaction to the killing of the youth by Pres. Obama, which was understandable to anyone who is a step away from reactionary Obama derangement syndrome, but also what’s developed in other communities since.

If you’ve spent much time consuming conservative media lately, you’ve probably learned about a slow-burning “race war” going on in America today. Sewing together disparate data points and compelling anecdotes like the attack in Norfolk, conservative bloggers and opinion-makers are driving the narrative with increasing frequency. Their message: Black-on-white violence is spiking ““ and the mainstream media is trying to cover it up. – In Conservative Media, A “Race War” Rages, by McKay Coppins

Defense attorneys are making the case for Zimmerman’s defense across the web and new media, while amateur Zimmerman defenders are doing something else entirely, represented by Daily Caller boss Tucker Carlson.

“I wouldn’t call it political correctness, I would call it lying,” said Tucker Carlson, editor-in-chief of The Daily Caller, describing what he considers to be the media’s racial double-standard. “To the press, the only hate crimes are straight white men somehow committing acts of violence against people who are not straight white men. When in fact, the real world is a lot more complicated than that.”

Ah yes, it’s all “a lot more complicated than that.”

If you’re talking about whether George Zimmerman will be found guilty or not, yes, it is, because it will be up to a jury of human beings who come with their own emotions, judgments and prejudices, which live beyond a judge’s instructions to them or their duty to be impartial.

However, if you’re talking about people looking at the case of an individual who got out of his car carrying a concealed weapon to engage a youth who was doing nothing wrong and ended up dead, it’s not complicated at all.

An individual’s civil rights is one of the cornerstones of our democratic republic.

Anyone, regardless of race, who abridges another’s civil rights when that person is doing nothing wrong and going about his or her business, is creating an event out of nowhere. But when that person helps cause an altercation that leads to the death of an innocent unarmed citizen, who wasn’t doing anything wrong in the first place, something has not only gone terribly wrong in our society, but with the foundational tenet of freedom in this country.

Conservatives feel aggrieved because no one is standing up for a white person who’s been beaten? The latest was an incident that went down in Norfolk, VA., when two reporters in a car were attacked.

Outraged that the national media didn’t give this story the same extensive coverage as the Martin shooting, O’Reilly launched into a campaign that has stretched over several nights of Fox’s top-rated show. Along the way, his team has uncovered an early police report that described the assault as a hate crime (authorities said it was a clerical error), and found neighborhood kids who speculated on camera that the assailants were exacting racial revenge for the death of Trayvon. O’Reilly has also publicly shamed the local newspaper for ignoring the story, and even called on Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to intervene in the investigation.

But while Norfolk may be the most high-profile chapter yet in the “race war,” it’s hardly the only one conservatives have highlighted. Over the past four years, the Drudge Report has run dozens of headlines chronicling acts of violence against white victims ““ often by black youths.

Having lived through the tumultuous times of the O.J. Simpson trial, as well as the Rodney King verdict, it’s not hard to see the beginning’s of something serious developing in the American atmosphere.

The professional defense case may end in a not guilty verdict on second degree murder charges, but George Zimmerman is not innocent. No one is, regardless of race, who abridges an individual’s civil rights. This is what makes it complicated.

Conservatives are utilizing the Trayvon Martin killing as a springboard to attack the media on separate cases that often don’t get reported. Not all domestic battery and abuse cases get reported either, but conservatives aren’t ranting about that injustice. Black children go missing, yet they don’t get the attention white children do in the media either. This is a conservative identity crisis, because of what began a long time ago as a bedrock of Republican politics. It’s called the southern strategy that was created to mine and appeal to racists to beat Democrats.

They’re coming for Pres. Obama and people against him will use any means necessary, going well beyond issues and policy debate, including race baiting, to do it.

Unfortunately, team Obama utilized race baiting themselves in the ’07-’08 primary season, with the formerly distinguished Rep. James Clyburn willing to even call former Pres. Clinton out on race to help candidate Obama in South Carolina, as did Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. when he questioned whether Hillary cried during Katrina, which exploded into a horrendous spectacle between Democrats. It’s covered in my book in the chapter “Eating Your Own,” proving yet again how relevant this history remains today.

In a country built through slavery and just now seeing the first African American president, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that at a time of great economic angst deeply woven grievances are rising to the surface after an unarmed black teen is killed, not by a police officer, but by an American citizen.

That an African American president can see Trayvon Martin as a possible son and relate to the tragedy shouldn’t shock anyone. So why does Pres. Obama relating to Trayvon Martin upset conservatives and other anti-Obama zealots so much?

Where are people on Trayvon Martin’s civil rights? For too many, it’s the same place we were prior to 1964.

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44 Comments

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 11:34 am

Taylor, I have asked that question over and over again to some posters on this subject. What about Trayvon Martins civil rights? Were where his rights to be able to walk from the store to his home without being harassed? Why is it that some only see Mr. Zimmermans civil rights, but fail to see that a young black youth who was breaking no laws doesn’t seem to have any? From everything I have seen and read, it seems to me that a good case can be made that Trayvon Martins civil rights were violated.

Ramsgate
May 21, 2012 at 12:35 pm

Subconsciously, in the eyes of racists, as a young black male, Trayvon Martin enjoyed no civil rights per se. Zimmerman had every right to accost him and demand to see his papers or ask what he was doing there. Had TM been white (hoodie or not) Zimmerman would have had no such right, and any such interference would have been perceived much differently.

secularhumanizinevoluter
May 21, 2012 at 11:43 am

“An individual’s civil rights is one of the cornerstones of our democratic republic”

The sad thing is one of the two political parties today base their appeal to their base on that NOT being the case. Much like in Sinclair’s Animal farm they feel some are MOE equal. Some have MORE rights then others and the “others” rights must take a back seat to the special folk.

Angels it’s not “a good case” it is a crystal clear, diamond hard certainly Trayvon martin’s rights were violated, his civil rights and even his right to life.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 11:44 am

Agree 100%.

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 12:36 pm

From those rightwingnutrepugniklanteabaggers over at talk left:

The state is left with: George made a bad judgment call by getting out of his car to look for Trayvon instead of waiting for the police. That’s not a crime, and it’s not provocation, let alone contemporaneous provocation, for Trayvon Martin’s use of force against him. Even if it was, the state has no witness who said on the night of the shooting that George had an opportunity to extricate himself and avoid using deadly force.

The state has no witness from the night of the shooting to refute that Trayvon broke George’s nose and banged his head into concrete (whether the cement manhole cover or the sidewalk) or was crying out for help. Opinions witnesses formed later that it was Trayvon or a child screaming won’t carry much weight.
Any reasonable person in George’s situation, on the ground, with a broken nose and having his head banged against cement, would fear serious bodily injury.

Your turn

Please explain how Trayvon Martin’s civil rights were violated? You’ve made the assertion many times, buyt it would be nice to see it in the context of the evidence.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 1:10 pm

Tell me, what right did Zimmerman have to play cop? Doesn’t Trayvon Martin have the right to walk to a store and then back home again without being followed and questioned by some guy who for whatever reason thinks its his right to know why a young black kid is out minding his own business? Mr. Zimmerman is not a cop, he had no business following Trayvon. If he thought this kid was breaking the law, he should have called the cops and let them handle it.

One question I have always had about this is, when and if Trayvon hit Mr. Zimmerman, did Mr. Zimmerman already have his gun out? Did Trayvon attack this man who he didn’t know, and who had been following him do so to try and prevent himself from being shot?

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 1:25 pm

Mr. Zimmerman had every right to be where he was, outside in the subdivision where he lived. Following Mr. Martin was not the best choice, but it was not a violation of Mr. Martin’s civil rights.

So, you’ve claimed that Mr. Martin’s civil rights were violated, please demonstrate how this is so.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 1:46 pm

If Zimmerman confronted Trayvon, and started this whole affair, when he had no cause except for the fact that Trayvon was walking down the street being black, which it seems Zimmerman thought was reason enough to follow and question Trayvon, Zimmerman did violate Martins civil rights to be left alone and not harassed by a stranger who felt he had the right to violate Martins right to walk down the street exercising his constitutional right to walk anywhere he felt like and breaking no city, state or federal laws.

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 2:08 pm

The evidence, as I understand it, is that Mr. Martin confronted Mr. Zimmerman – no civil rights violation. Even if Mr. Zimmerman confronted Mr. Martin, that is not a violation of one’s civil rights.

Marie205
May 21, 2012 at 12:51 pm

Taylor, the real reason some are upset over the statement made by Obama about Trevyon Martin death…is that it was made by Obama…the irrational hatred for him has now long past common decency.

Obama was asked by a reporter to comment on the Trevyon Martin death…and he simply gave his answer. There was nothing wrong with Obama eluding to the fact…that if he indeed had a son…he most likely would look like Trevyon. Because last time I checked the First Lady…is African American….so the odds of him producing a blue eye blonde son…are Zero…LOL

Anyway, I think Obama was trying to say from a humanity stand point, the Martin kid…could have been anybody unarmed teenager on their way home that day he was killed. But the unstable Obama haters took it as a whole another meaning. Then again these are the same folks suggesting Obama was born in Kenya and smuggled into America by his teenage mother…to be one day groomed by an evil secret society to become President.

secularhumanizinevoluter
May 21, 2012 at 7:25 pm

“Taylor, the real reason some are upset over the statement made by Obama about Trevyon Martin death”¦is that it was made by Obama”¦the irrational hatred for him has now long past common decency.”

BING,bing,BING!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!

secularhumanizinevoluter
May 21, 2012 at 12:59 pm

“Any reasonable person in George’s situation, on the ground, with a broken nose and having his head banged against cement, would fear serious bodily injury.

Your turn”

Any reasonable person would have followed the dispatchers instructions. Any reasonable person would have followed established Town watch rules and NOT carried a firearm and NOT done anything other then called the police as the Police tell Town watch volunteers to do.
But no, we had a Rambo wannabee feeling all manly and stuff cause he’s packing HEAT!
So this individual who NEVER, with his history of violence but daddy IS an ex supreme ain’t he,should have gotten a conceal carry permitt displayed EXACTLY WHY Town Watch says don’t carry firearms and the Police say just call us.
Zimmerman decided because he saw a Black male the male MUST be guilty of something. So when the kid defended HIMSELF Zimmerman murdered him.
Murdered because he was a Black male.
Even you being the repugnANTklaner/teabagger fluffing lil rascal you are can see that!

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Nice try, you’ve just called Jeralyn Merrit a “repugnANTklaner/teabagger fluffing lil rascal” because the quote from her ended at “your turn”.

You can’t answer what civil rights violation there was when looking at the evidence so you resort to your tired and juvenille ad hominem attacks whic look even more pathetic when aimed at a lefty blogger like Ms. Merrit, who also has some legal bachground that seems to be sorely missing over here at taylormarsh.com.

secularhumanizinevoluter
May 21, 2012 at 7:28 pm

Actually “repugnANTklaner/teabagger fluffing lil rascal” was directed at Vou.
Depriving Trayvon of his life based on his race is a pretty profound civil rights violation…possibly why the Feds are looking into it also.

Marie205
May 21, 2012 at 1:19 pm

“Any reasonable person would have followed the dispatchers instructions.”-secularhumanizinevoluter

Good point! I agree Zimmerman should have never left the safety of his vehicle. If he assumed the kid was a dangerous criminal…why leave the safety of your automobile? I’ve been part of a neighborhood watch and we never carried guns or perused anyone…The only thing we did were notify the police and let them do their jobs. Zimmerman instead got out of his vehicle with an armed weapon and followed this kid.
Zimmerman put his own life in danger…had the kid been an actual armed criminal…then Zimmerman might have died that day. Because the guy is his own statements said he was getting the snot beat out of him from unarmed teenager. This does not sound like a man that should be trying to run after assailants.

Zimmerman wanted to play cop that day and took the life of someones child. And I don’t see the problem with Trevyon Martin “possibly” striking a man that had been stalking him throughout the neighborhood. Personally, speaking as a woman that has been victimized in the past….if some strange looking man was following me around….I would knock the crap out of him too, and then try to get away. All this just my honest opinion!

Ramsgate
May 21, 2012 at 2:12 pm

.if some strange looking man was following me around”¦.I would knock the crap out of him too, and then try to get away. All this just my honest opinion!

And guess what? Most reasonable people would feel you had every right to do so.

All this is not to suggest this is what exactly transpired between TM and Zimmerman.

jinbaltimore
May 21, 2012 at 2:26 pm

When most reasonable people think violence an appropriate response to non-violence, we have a problem.

secularhumanizinevoluter
May 21, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Stalking someone IS an act of violence.

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 2:30 pm

And then the law says that the person whom you’ve just attacked has the right to defend themselves with lethal force. You end up dead in the street. Doesn’t seem like a reasonable proposition to me.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 2:47 pm

Still haven’t answered the question I asked. Did Mr. Zimmerman already have his gun in his hand when Martin punched him in the nose? If so, then wasn’t Trayvon defending himself from getting shot by some adult stranger who had been following him? I think that if that was the case, what Martin did would have been self defense. Zimmerman stared this by playing Rambo the cop, which makes him responsible for what happened.

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 3:15 pm

No, he didn’t have his gun drawn.

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 3:16 pm

Still waiting to see what civil right was violated by Mr. Zimmerman.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 3:41 pm

And how do you know he didn’t have his gun already out, because Mr. Zimmerman say’s so? I’ve heard of no witness that states one way or another except Zimmerman. If it turns out that the voice we here screaming for help is Martins, then the chance that Martin knew Zimmerman was armed would make Martins actions self defense.

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 3:48 pm

Well, it is a case, and like the quote above from Talk Left, there are no witnesses to the events prior to the scuffle, so we have to work with the evidence that we have, Zimmerman’s claims, not conjecture.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 3:55 pm

What is the case? You made a statement as if it was a fact that Zimmerman didn’t have his gun out, when there are no fact to support that.

PWT
May 21, 2012 at 4:10 pm

There is no evidence to support the notion that his gun was drawn either. The statements by Mr. Zimmerman seem to be backed up by the evidence, so, it would seem to me that Mr. Zimmerman is a credible witness and his story should be relied on. Do you not trust him because he’s hispanic?

Still waiting on the civil rights violation.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 4:22 pm

Seeing as Zimmerman is accused of murder his statement has very little credibility, seeing as him saying his gun wasn’t drawn, would be what any person in his situation would say. If he was to say otherwise he would be found guilty in about 2 seconds.

As to your other question, I already answered you, go back and read what I have posted. I will add that if the feds charge Zimmerman with a hate crime, it will be a violation of Martins civil rights.

fangio
May 21, 2012 at 2:10 pm

Simply amazing, the time and energy spent dissecting one thrid rate murder case. One hispanic male shoots one black male and it is worthy of almost 400 comments. You argue and argue over the same points over and over again. There are so many issues of utmost importance to this country that could be discussed and this is what you spend your time on. It’s almost like a drug.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 2:16 pm

fangio, you sound like a broken record. If you don’t like the thread don’t comment and just ignore it. Some of us may see this case as a big issue facing this country when it come to how race and racism is dealt with.

fangio
May 21, 2012 at 3:31 pm

Three hundred years of race related violence in this country and you think this is an important issue? Is it no wonder that the right wing has been so successful in taking over this country.

angels81
May 21, 2012 at 5:06 pm

And exactly what does that mean? You don’t think this is a important issue, so you feel you can just belittle everybody who doesn’t agree with you? One big issue about this case has to do with the right wing asses who have passed these laws that makes it open season on citizens that some redneck feels threatened by.

fangio
May 21, 2012 at 6:25 pm

Your not arguing about the law, your arguing about the case, that’s the difference. Arguing about the law would be worthwhile, argung about every little detail of the investigation while calling each other racists is pointless.

secularhumanizinevoluter
May 21, 2012 at 7:33 pm

“Simply amazing, the time and energy spent dissecting one thrid rate murder case. One hispanic male shoots one black male and it is worthy of almost 400 comments.”

Gee, wonder if Trayvon’s parents realize their childs murder was just a “third rate murder”?

Truly amazing the wonderful stuff this has brought to the surface…kinda like a Rorschach test on race in America today isn’t it?

fairmindedindependent
May 21, 2012 at 2:21 pm

Zimmerman should have not followed Treyvon Martin, the situation could have been avoided, its what happened after that I want all the facts before I judge. The blame should also go to the Sanford Police Department, they are the ones that released Zimmerman in the first place. I am also ticked at the media, they have a role in flaming the flames of hate. They put a picture of Treyon on tv and people believed that is what he looked like, no knowing that it was a picture of him at 8 years old, thats just few of the things that the media has done to provoke tensions. I also don’t like that Zimmermans father and the rest of his family have to go into hiding because of their son, they shouldn’t have to suffer because of their son did. MSNBC does more pro stories on Treyvon while Fox does more on Zimmerman. We are a diverse nation, but that still does not mean everyone is going to get along and live happy side by side, look in Europe as a example.

Ga6thDem
May 21, 2012 at 2:29 pm

As someone who has lived in the south for almost my entire life, the whole race issue has been simmering under the surface but as long as “their guy” a “republican” won the presidency they were happy because it was someone who “shared their values” about African Americans and other minority groups. . The fact that Obama is president is something that the majority of them will never be able to get over. I think the result might be ugly but I hope i’m wrong. I thinking another Tim McVeigh is going to rise up a commit a mass murder with the egging on of people like Limbaugh.

As someone who has lived in the south for almost my entire life, the whole race issue has been simmering under the surface but as long as “their guy” a “republican” won the presidency they were happy because it was someone who “shared their values” about African Americans and other minority groups.

1. Age 19 – Walking down the street with my black shirt, black jeans, and fancy sneakers. Cops pull up and ask me where I’m going. I tell them that I’m heading back to my parent’s house. They ask how far. I say about 8 houses down. They say OK and proceed to follow me back to the house. I wave when I get there, they give me that little cop salute thing, and story over.

2. Age 19 – Walking down the street with my baseball hat low, white t-shirt, black jeans, and fancy sneakers. Some guy in a pickup truck ask me what am I doing around here and where am I going. I say walking and the rest in none of his damn business. He calls me a punk. I tell him to get out the car and say it to my face. He drives off.

Explanation of my reaction in #1: Those are the COPS. I’m not about to get all crazy with the law. No way. No how. Nope nada zilch!

Explanation of my reaction in #2: Who is this guy? And why the heck he being all nosy?? I don’t know this fool. He could be crazy. Besides I wasn’t doing ANYTHING so he needs to back the #$%@ off.

Now that’s real for me. Now if the guy in #2 would have got out that car. Well, there would have been a situation. Not going to lie to you. I had no weapon but I can handle myself in a fight so I really wasn’t concerned. But in a fight, ANYTHING can happen. I’ve seen fights where a bully starts it and the victim reacts so strongly that they turn the tables. Then the bully effectively turns into the victim of a “beatdown” even though they started the whole thing.

Now did that happen in the Martin/Zimmerman affair? I HAVE NO IDEA. I can’t draw any conclusions right now. Zimmerman could have got out. Looked around for Martin and Martin “snuck” him. Or Zimmerman could have got out, got physical with Martin, and Martin reacted. I don’t know. But I can tell you this much, we have the right to follow anyone. And we have the right to evade a follower. What happens when the evader meets the follower, then it gets decidedly cloudier and quite hairy.

And if this case is some kick-off to some huge black vs. white/white vs. black tension-fest, then we are all losers and deserve a meteor to hit this planet for an E.L.E. (extinction level event). Cause I’ll be damned if I let a friggin’ case in Florida destroy the rapport and friendship with my white, Confederate flag waving neighbor. Believe that.

…And you what else drives me completely crazy, is this this implied notion that we black folks are just waiting on our black overlords led by King Barack the Obama to give us “a signal”….

BEEP! BEEP! BUZZ!! CLANG!

And then we black folks all become soldiers of white destruction aka “taking this country away from the good folks”. Hannity and Company do that all the time. Like this so-called “media whitewash” regarding black against white crime is hiding the BLACK MENACE! 42 million strong and already in a neighborhood near you. As NFL football star (or infamous star) Chad Ochocinco said:

Child please!

And where did President Obama split the harmonious racial love festing between black and white? And what has President Obama specifically said and did that has given black folks en masse a complete and unfair advantage against ALL other races in America? And don’t give me that stupid Eric Holder crap regarding the New Black Panther Party (a bunch of brick headed “back then-ders”) that many white and black never knew existed. Last time I checked, the economy kickin’ out black, brown, caramel, mocha, and vanilla/chocolate mix rear ends too! I’ve been laid off twice during the reign of King Barack the Obama and have been on unemployment and food stamps? Was that King Barack the Obama’s gift to my caramel self? Again, CHILD PLEASE!

I’m not voting for President Obama. Nor Mitt “America’s CEO” Romney. But I call bull do-do on this whole “the most racially divisive President ever” notion. Three times a charm: CHILD PLEASE!

I’m just waiting to get summoned by the Black Overlords, Lake Lady. Well maybe I need to take some vacation time off from work to do some “taking America away from the good folk”. Don’t want to get fired.